Hate that cat [book review]

Creech, Sharon. Hate that Cat. HarperCollins, 2008. ISBN 9780061430923. $15.99. 160 p.
Reviewer: Gillian Streeter
Reading Level: Intermediate
Rating: Outstanding
Genre: Fiction; Poetry;
Subject: Novels in verse--Juvenile fiction; Poetry--Juvenile fiction; Book--Reviews;
In this sequel to Love that Dog, Jack has moved to his next year in school, and he has the same poetry-loving teacher, Ms. Stretchberry. Jack's new poems sometimes reference his dog Sky from the previous book, but, as he puts it, he can't write about Sky "a-n-y-m-o-r-e". His current poetry explores his relationship with his deaf mother, the poets his class is studying, and a professor-uncle's opinions on poetry, and his overall dislike of cats. He also has a recurring interest in whether the poets he is studying are alive or not.
The storyline is conveyed entirely in poems. Each poem is dated and a few of them titled. As a book dealing with poetry in the classroom, a wide range of poets and poems are mentioned, but not so wide as to be overwhelming or busy. The writing style is crisp and succinct, but honest .Short lines coupled with careful white space and a few illustrated poem-shapes make the book visually appealing as well. The book is a great jumping-off point for poetry lessons and writing exercises. It is also a basic introduction to some discussion topics in poetry as a writing form, such as what makes a piece of writing poetry, why, and according to whom. Hate that Cat would be an excellent addition to classroom or school libraries when coupled with its predecessor. Volume 29, no. 5 (May/June 2009)

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Creech, Sharon. Hate that Cat. HarperCollins, 2008. ISBN 9780061430923. $15.99. 160 p.
Reviewer: Gillian Streeter
Reading Level: Intermediate
Rating: Outstanding
Genre: Fiction; Poetry;
Subject: Novels in verse--Juvenile fiction; Poetry--Juvenile fiction; Book--Reviews;
In this sequel to Love that Dog, Jack has moved to his next year in school, and he has the same poetry-loving teacher, Ms. Stretchberry. Jack's new poems sometimes reference his dog Sky from the previous book, but, as he puts it, he can't write about Sky "a-n-y-m-o-r-e". His current poetry explores his relationship with his deaf mother, the poets his class is studying, and a professor-uncle's opinions on poetry, and his overall dislike of cats. He also has a recurring interest in whether the poets he is studying are alive or not.
The storyline is conveyed entirely in poems. Each poem is dated and a few of them titled. As a book dealing with poetry in the classroom, a wide range of poets and poems are mentioned, but not so wide as to be overwhelming or busy. The writing style is crisp and succinct, but honest .Short lines coupled with careful white space and a few illustrated poem-shapes make the book visually appealing as well. The book is a great jumping-off point for poetry lessons and writing exercises. It is also a basic introduction to some discussion topics in poetry as a writing form, such as what makes a piece of writing poetry, why, and according to whom. Hate that Cat would be an excellent addition to classroom or school libraries when coupled with its predecessor. Volume 29, no. 5 (May/June 2009)

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